State Wrong To Bleed Medicaid

Sep 21, 2015 | 12:00 AM

Last week, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy slashed Medicaid funding that's desperately needed to care for the most vulnerable people in our state [Sept. 19, Page 1, "Malloy Orders $103M In Cuts"]. With nearly one in five Connecticut residents now on Medicaid, withdrawing even more funding from the state's obligation is outrageous.

The consequences for all patients will be longer hospital wait times, less access to care and higher health care costs for everyone.

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In most parts of the country, the health care sector is viewed as an economic engine. But in Connecticut, hospitals have lost 530 jobs since July. During the same time period, hospital employment increased nationally by 15,700 jobs. Connecticut is heading in the wrong direction.

The governor's actions will severely strain the budgets of health care providers, whose state reimbursements are nowhere near the actual cost of care. Connecticut was already dead last in the nation for Medicaid reimbursement, and now providers are being paid less than half of what it costs to provide care.

This has to stop. Taxing the sick, hospitals and health care is wrong. It increases costs, reduces access, hurts our state and local economies and is inconsistent with the goals of health care reform. I ask readers to go to www.CareWeCanCountOn.org and join our campaign.